The Cook Islands are spread over a huge expanse of vacant ocean, which is the size of Western Europe. The Cook Islands is a dream-come-true for castaways. The Cook Islands comprise of 15 individual islands. It serves as a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. The islands are remote and secluded. The scenery is mesmerizing to say the least. Visitors get a glimpse of the Polynesian culture, which has just completed a thousand years. The islands offer wonderful views of the South Pacific.

Of all the Cook Islands, Rarotonga is the largest. The island comprises of rocky mountains, dense forests, and magnificent beaches that are bone-white.

Rarotonga is the youngest of all Cook Islands. It is physically different from its volcanic neighbors. The neighboring islands have seen a lot of erosion. Periodic submersions have transformed the mountains into pleasant hills. The central massif in Rarotonga comprises of the eroded remains of a volcanic pyramid. This pyramid was once high and mighty. The crags of the mountain now resemble sawtooth peaks and ridges of razorback. These are covered with dense, tropical forests. Streams flowing across picturesque valleys are separated here.

Rarotonga is situated 14,750 feet above the floor of the ocean. The island’s highest peak stands at an impressive height of 2,140 feet. An amazing lagoon surrounds Rarotonga. This lagoon extends for hundreds of yards toward the reef. This then slopes toward deep water.

A narrow stretch of agricultural flats and terraces lies around the primary mountains.  A collection of swamps then encircles this region. The swamps are used predominantly for the cultivation of taro. The climate at Rarotonga is equable. It lies opposite Honolulu when it comes to relative latitude. It is situated within the Tropic of Capricorn. The average temperature in Rarotonga ranges between 64 degree Fahrenheit and 82 degree Fahrenheit. The winter lasts from May to October, while the summer lasts from November to April. The period from January to May comprises the wet season. Severe weather is a rarity in Rarotonga. The island witnessed five cyclones in February 2005. This could be due to the El Nino pattern of weather. There was a corresponding increase in temperatures of the sea.

The island derives its name from ‘raro’, which means ‘down’, and ‘tonga’, which means ‘south’. In 1997, archaeologists belonging to Japan unearthed a ‘marae’, which was a sacred site on Motu Tapu. This is believed to be nearly 1,500 years old.